


Singles

by ringoame



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-19 20:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11905488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ringoame/pseuds/ringoame
Summary: A collection of short stories, usually based on a particular song. Includes Maki's short-lived solo career, Umi's first acting role, and way too much Nico. Whether these are shippy or not is generally up to you~ Updates sporadically.





	1. Number One

"Hey, Maki?"

"Mmm?" The redhead didn't look up. Nico was always trying to bother her while she was working.

"What's this video in your 'Private' folder?"

"What video?" Maki frowned. She knew she shouldn't have let Nico borrow her laptop for 'research.' "Wait, why are you in my…"

"It says… 'daring.mp4'?"

Maki's eyes widened. "Nico, do NOT open th—"

_"Darling!!"_ Maki's own voice streamed tinnily from the laptop's speakers, turning a few heads in the family restaurant where they'd met up to do homework together. " _You'llll be wild!"_

Maki groaned. She didn't have to look to know what was happening on the screen right now; she remembered all too well the highly choreographed dance interspersed with shots of her singing and winking in a series of increasingly embarrassing outfits.

She didn't have to look to guess what Nico's face looked like, either. Nor did she want to see the moment when her face transitioned from open-mouthed shock to a smug grin as she realized that she could blackmail Maki with this for the rest of their lives.

She didn't have to, but she looked anyway.

What she wasn't expecting was to find the other girl staring at the screen with wobbly lips and tear-filled eyes.

"What the…?! Nico?!"

"Maki…" Nico sniffled. "What _is_ this?"

Maki groaned. "Isn't it obvious? It's a solo song. Or at least a sad attempt at one."

_"Don't worry! Don't worry!"_ the song played on in the background. Maki cringed.

"So you admit it …" Nico's face crumpled uncharacteristically. Despite her militantly enforced cutesy persona, she was apparently an ugly crier. "You really are going solo?!"

"Huh?"

"You're sick of us… of _me_ bothering you all the time… and now you're going to leave μ's and get super famous on your own and it's all my fault, isn't it!" Nico's voice built up into a wail.

"What?! No, of course not!" Flustered, Maki quickly came around the table to sit next to the other girl and comfort her (and close her laptop while she was at it—the song was still blaring away).

"T-then why…!"

"This was…" Maki pressed a palm against her forehead and sighed. She hadn't wanted anyone to find out about this. "This was before μ's. Before I met all of you."

"Before…?" Nico's sobs ceased immediately, so quickly that Maki would have suspected they were fake if Nico's eyes weren't so red around the edges.

"Yeah. Look, it's stupid, okay? It wasn't my idea. Someone entered me in this dumb contest in middle school…"

"And you won?"

"Yeah, I guess so. The 'prize' was that I got to make this ridiculous video. It got spread around online for a short while, but my parents had it taken down before it went viral. Which was probably for the best."

Now Nico's tearful face had fully morphed into a wicked grin. Maki would never understand how she could change expressions so quickly. "Oh really? You looked like you were having fun in the video, though…"

"H-hardly!" Maki quickly turned away to hide her flushed cheeks. "I-I just thought I should make the best of it, since I was stuck doing it anyway. The company insisted that they would make me a 'star' or whatever."

"A star…" Nico's grin widened. "So you really did want to be an idol!"

"No!!" Maki protested so loudly that they drew a few more looks from the other customers in the restaurant. She hastily lowered her voice to a fierce whisper. "And don't tell any of the others about this, okay?! It's too embarrassing!"

"Really? I thought it was pretty cute."

"…You did?"

"Sure! Actually, solo songs might not be a bad idea. It'd be a perfect way to showcase our members' individual appeal!" Nico's eyes sparkled. "Especially mine! You'll write one for me, right?"

"Seriously? No thank you."

"Oh, come on, pleeease?" Nico batted her eyes innocently. "For me… _darling?_ "

Maki winced. So she was going to hold this over her head after all. "Ugh… fine. If you promise never to speak of this again."

"Of course!" Nico flung her arms around Maki with what seemed to be genuine happiness. After a moment, she mumbled something that Maki didn't quite catch.

"Huh?"

"I said…" Reluctantly, the dark-haired girl leaned closer to her ear and muttered into it. "As long as you promise never to leave μ's."

Maki smiled and patted her back gently. "Of course. I would never want to leave my dearest friends."

She thought she heard Nico sniffle again, but then the other girl pulled away and smiled brightly as ever. "Great! Because I have some great ideas for a solo song that will really convey my Nico-Nico magic. First of all…"

Nico gestured animatedly and started scribbling some illegible descriptions in Maki's notebook, and Maki sighed. Apparently she wouldn't be doing homework today after all.


	2. Now Bloom!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Umi gets help from an unexpected ally when her nerves get the best of her on a solo acting job.

The blue-haired girl on the screen smiled confidently as she piloted her mecha. With a deft movement, she raised the giant robot's left arm, and a red rose-shaped cannon bloomed on the end, charging up a powerful-looking beam.

Just before firing, she opened her mouth to speak.

"…I-I-I-I… I'm going to s-s-stop yOU right NOW…"

A small voice stuttered, barely matching up with the movement of her lips.

"All right, cut." The voice director sighed. "Why don't we take a few minute's break? Maybe some fresh air will help you calm down, Ms. Sonoda."

Stepping back from the microphone shakily, Umi sighed as well. Since her solo song "We Are the Flowers of the Future" had been chosen for the opening theme of this anime, she'd been offered a part in the show, but her first recording session wasn't going nearly as well as the song recording had.

Umi bit her lip and kept her eyes low as she stepped out of the recording booth. At this rate, someone else would have to take over the role. Maybe she could recommend one of the more confident members of μ's. Someone like…

"Umi! What the hell was that?!"

Startled, Umi looked up, starting to apologize automatically. "Sorry, I…" But the word died on her lips when she saw the girl standing in front of her with her hands on her hips. "Wait, Nico?! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to cheer on my fellow μ's member, obviously!" Nico replied in her loudest, peppiest idol voice. Then her eyes darted to the side; Umi realized she was glancing at the director.

"I see. You wanted to see if you could get a part too, right?"

"W-what!" The other girl reddened a little, her expression getting even shiftier. "Of course not! I mean, if they asked me to do something, I suppose I could help them out, but…"

Umi smiled drily. "It's all right. If you want, I can see if they'll give you my part instead…" Her smile faded a little, despite her best efforts. "Clearly I'm not cut out for this."

"What!" Nico repeated the exclamation. To Umi's surprise, though, her expression was still indignant, not eager. Then, furthering that surprise, the older girl grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room. "She'll be ready to go in five!" she called over her shoulder cheerily, letting the door slam shut behind them as she towed Umi out of the building.

 

"N-Nico, what's going on?!"

"I could ask you the same question," Nico replied crossly, handing Umi a can of green tea and joining her on the bench next to the vending machine. Her face softened a little when she saw Umi's distraught expression, and she leaned back, looking up at the sky. "Listen. Why did you become an idol?"

"Well, that's… because Honoka made me…"

"Surely that's not the only reason?"

"Hmm… Well, Kotori has this puppy-dog-eyed look that she used on me at the time, so that helped."

"That's not what I mean!" Nico snapped impatiently, then sighed. "Wasn't there any part of you that wanted to do it, too? Not for anyone else's sake, but for yourself?"

"…" Umi looked down at the pavement, blushing a little as she remembered trying idol poses in front of her mirror. "I… I suppose so."

"You _suppose—_ " Nico stopped and took a deep breath, trying to control her impulse to keep raising her voice. "You and I both know that you secretly wanted to try it. I've seen your little 'love arrow shoot' routine, you know."

"You _what!_ " This time it was Umi's turn to exclaim.

Nico grinned. "More importantly, I've seen that side of you on stage plenty of times. Even if you were reluctant at first, you love being an idol now. Am I wrong?"

After a moment, Umi shook her head. "…No," she admitted. "Our practices, our performances… they're incredibly fun. And the outfits were embarrassing at first, but…" She fingered the hem of her skirt, a birthday gift from Kotori. "So much love and hard work goes into them, I can't help but enjoy wearing them. It's like being a different person."

"EXACTLY!" Nico leapt to her feet.

Umi smiled despite herself. Even though Nico was several years her senior, she was irrepressibly excitable. She had to admit her enthusiasm was contagious, but Umi still wasn't sure what Nico was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"Being an idol is all about inhabiting a persona!" Clearly Nico was gearing up for another one of her idol speeches. "Dancing, singing, acting… we have to be able to do it all, and with a cute smile all the way to boot! You've come this far, so clearly you have _some_ talent for it, evenifnotasmuchasme. But where's your confidence?! I know you have it in you!"

"This is different!" Umi protested. "It's easy to be confident when I have all of you with me. But it's just me in that recording booth…!"

"Ridiculous. μ's is always with you in your heart!" Nico struck one of her trademark poses, until she noticed the highly unimpressed look on her friend's face. "…Besides, uh. You're confident in yourself alone when you do other things, right? Like archery and calligraphy?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"And it was your solo song that was chosen for the opening theme! This is an incredible chance. I won't let you waste it!"

"…Nico…"

Nico put her hand on Umi's shoulder. "I know it's hard to believe in yourself. But trust me. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath…" She paused expectantly, and Umi hurriedly did so. "And tell yourself that when you open your eyes, you'll be a different version of yourself. Someone strong and confident. Someone almost as amazing as me!"

If Umi had opened her eyes yet, she would have rolled them at that last part. Instead, she felt something on her wrist. When she did open her eyes and look down, she saw that Nico had tied one of her red hair ribbons there.

"Nico…" Umi repeated, then smiled. "Thank you." She giggled a little.

"W-what's so funny? I'm trying to be supportive here! Now you can pretend we're all with you in the recording booth. Or me, anyway."

"I know, and I appreciate it. It's just…" She covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh without much success. "You look ridiculous."

"Excuse me?!" Nico whipped out her phone and checked her reflection, then realized it was because her hair was now pigtailed on one side and hanging loose on the other. "Oh." Reddening, she quickly untied the other ribbon and stuffed it in her pocket.

"…I'm sorry. I really do appreciate your help." Umi stood up. "I think I can go back in there now and perform. I am an idol, after all!"

"That's the spirit!" Nico clapped her on the back cheerfully. Her loose hair swayed in the wind. "My job here is done, then. I'll see you on the other side, Ms. Soon-to-be-Famous Voice Actress!"

"I don't know about that… but thanks. Oh! I'll return the ribbon at school on Monday, shall I?"

"Don't worry about it! I always keep extras on hand. Anything for my fans!"

"Really?" Umi blinked, then looked down at the ribbon. On closer inspection, there were machine-embroidered letters on the other side. She could barely make them out, since it was pink on red, but she was pretty sure she knew what it said.

"Nico-Nico-niii~!"

Umi groaned. "Nico, this is…" Then she looked up and blinked. The other girl was gone.

_She probably just ducked around the corner of the building for a dramatic disappearance,_ she thought drily, but she decided to let Nico have her moment. Straightening up, she walked back into the building with her head held high. It was time to have a moment of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was meant to be KotoUmi, but for whatever reason, Nico showed up instead = w=; I haven't written fanfic in a long time, so let me know how I'm doing if you want~ Thanks for reading!


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